Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr was in tears, gave a very grovelling apology to Paloma Faith and Joe Marler screamed at the TV. This was the thrilling fallout from the finale of the hit BBC show final, and its aftershow, Uncloaked.
Congratulations are in order as Carr scooped the prize fund of £87,500 for charity after duping Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga at the very last minute, following the banishments of Marler and Cat Burns. Lying had been a huge burden to him, and he burst into tears.
Speaking about the tears on Uncloaked, he said: “It came bubbling up. The charity I picked is a really good charity. I know the money is going to do them so much good. I thought all the lovely people I murdered… Your reactions!”
Despite the betrayal, both Olusoga and Mohammed rushed to comfort the sobbing Carr in the moment.
Read more: How Alan Carr won Celebrity Traitors
Speaking about it on Uncloaked, Olusoga said: “It was such a genuine moment. It’s a game. The genuine nature of Alan’s response. The human thing to do was to hug him and say, ‘You’ve done brilliant’.”
Host Claudia Winkleman said Carr had started out like Linda, not a very successful traitor, but had become just like Harry Clark — the greatest traitor the show has had.
Alan Carr’s very public apology to Paloma Faith
Alan Carr and Paloma Faith are best friends outside of Celebrity Traitors. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
Finally, on Uncloaked, Carr had the chance to say sorry to his real-life friend Faith, whom he murdered first in plain sight in the castle.
“It was so awful,” he said of murdering her. “It was so awful. I’m a fan of her music, I’m a fan of her for ages, we’ve gone on each other’s podcasts. I am so sorry. You know I am.” Choosing to lighten the moment with humour, he added: “I want to tell everyone I am the father of her child.”
Faith, who has recently announced her pregnancy news, accepted Carr’s apology.
She said: “It was an enjoyable experience for both of us. Observing tonight, going through my hormonal emotions, I can see why Alan won and why I was so sad. I love you so much. I’m so happy you won because it was bloody worth it. [Everyone was thinking[ How can we vote someone who is so loveable? You won it. You hurt me and I loved you.”
Witty Carr didn’t miss the punchline. “Only Love Can Hurt Like This,” he said, referencing her famous song.
Faith announced: “The nation loves him.”
Some of Carr’s best lines include: “What’s a knighthood when you’re dead” and “If Kate doesn’t come down for breakfast, people will think she’s in a broom cupboard”.
Alan Carr’s emergency call to his dog-sitter
Alan Carr was triumphant in the finale of Celebrity Traitors. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Paul Chappells)
No one was more surprised that he made it through to the end than Carr himself. “I am so shocked,” he told Gamble. “It’s true what I said. I had to ring up the woman who was dog-sitting my dogs. You’ve got them for another week!”
He had admitted his agent didn’t think he would be in the game for long. “My agent had booked in things for second week,” he said. “‘Alan, you’re poker face. you’ll be out two days in’. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m like it when i’m going through customs, I’m sweating… I’ve got the worse poker face going!”
After the final, Carr admitted he still didn’t know how he had won: “Although I won, I don’t really think I can give any tips and tricks. I don’t know if I was a really good Traitor or if the Faithfuls were just useless. I think anyone who goes for it should only apply if you love the game. You have to love Claudia, you have to love the castle and you have to love the game, otherwise it’s all pointless. I want to do it next year as well – maybe I can just sneak in with my cloak and lantern and murder someone just for the thrill, just for old time’s sake!”
Joe Marler shouts scumbags at Nick and David
Joe Marler and Cat Burns on Celebrity Traitors. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Paul Chappells)
Elsewhere, Uncloaked host Gamble revealed that Joe Marler shouted “scumbags” at the screen when they were watching the Celebrity Traitors final for the first time. It was the telling moment when Olusoga and Mohammed voted for him instead of Carr.
Marler joked that they were alright now, but “struggled to make eye contact with them from now on”. The rugby player explained the reason he had said “sorry” for voting Burns was not because he was a fellow traitor but because he was being polite. “I wasn’t saying sorry to Cat like Judas,” he said. “I said sorry to Cat because I enjoyed my time with her.”
Mohammed admitted he has a new nickname now. “He refers to me as Judas,” he said. “Sometimes he uses a heart emoji instead of the U.”
Jonathan Ross points a finger at who is to blame
Jonathan Ross accepts the traitors cloak from Claudia Winkleman. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
Traitor Jonathan Ross couldn’t resist pointing out that he thought the faithfuls losing the game was down to Mohammed.
He said, “It does become the two teams against each other. I wanted to see the two of you [Alan and Cat] get to the end. I didn’t think either of you to survive. I do think we need to thank Nick.”
Of being a traitor with Carr and Burns, he added, “I think I was just happy to see someone else up there with me. I know Cat a little bit, I know how calm she is and presents as being. Alan is so much fun to be with. I knew you were very tactical as well. They both talked me round.”
Speaking to Good Morning Britain on Friday, 7 November, Ross shared how difficult he and Carr had found being traitors: “I was thrilled to be in there, I’m not saying anything negative about the show, but I did feel it was much harder than I expected and I did struggle with that. Cat not so much, she knew it was a game, she put it in perspective. But driving home late at night, Alan and I would have our heads in our hands, it took its toll.”
Alan Carr sobs he’s a traitor… and jokes ‘I’m the most hated man’
Alan Carr toasts to his Celebrity Traitors win. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Paul Chappells)
Carr breaking down in tears was the biggest moment of the Celebrity Traitors final.
Looking into the eyes of faithfuls Mohammed and Olusoga at the final banishment was the most nervous the comedian had looked.
Telling them he was a traitor proved too much. The funnyman broke down in tears when he revealed to Mohammed and Olusoga that he was in fact, a traitor. “Oh f***,” Mohammed admitted.
Through the tears, Carr revealed the toll it had taken on him. He said, “It’s been tearing me apart. I’m so sorry. It’s been tearing me apart. I feel so bad.”
When Winkleman revealed he had won, Carr had sarcastically said: “Woohoo.”
All forgiven, the finalists toasted to Carr’s win outside of the castle. He poked fun at the murders in plain sight of Celia Imrie and Paloma Faith. He said: “Parting with such sweet sorrow… You’ve got something on your face, Claudia!”
Having lied and backstabbed his way to the final, the winner joked he must be the “most hated man” in Britain.
Earlier, Joe Marler had shared his devastation at being double-crossed by his friend Mohammed at the final banishment. “It hurts to be stabbed in the back last minute,” he said. “Not even an inkling. Gutted.”
Mohammed had twisted the knife in with his vote after Carr and Olusoga voted for Marler. He said: “Honestly, you’re the person, I got to know the most here. I adore you, I honestly didn’t believe it. You voting for Cat was what sealed it. I love you!”
After the final aired, Carr explained why he was so emotional: “I think all the deceit, the lying, the murdering of Paloma and Celia had all taken its toll and then I think it dawned on me that I had won such a huge amount for my charity, Neuroblastoma UK. The charity is so close to my heart that it all became a bit too much. Hopefully when people see how upset I was they won’t feel so bad that I killed all those national treasures.”
Marler made a ‘pact’ with traitors before betraying Cat
Joe Marler cosied up to the traitors. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Paul Chappells)
Rugby star Marler came into his own early in the final by cosying up to the traitors Carr and Burns, while strongly suspecting them.
While he makes a vow with the traitors to banish David Olusoga at the roundtable, he secretly reveals his plan to betray them at the last minute.
He said, “Then we pull the rug from under their feet.” The sports star had previously joked that playing Celebrity Traitors had been “more stressful” than playing for England.
At the roundtable, Marler delivered the blow that he would be sending Burns home. Casting his vote, he said: “I’m sorry, Cat, but I’ve changed my mind. I hope I’m right.”
Aside, Burns said: “I wouldn’t change a thing. I think I played it the best way I could. I was proud of myself for keeping up a lie for this long. I am a traitor. I had the most fun ever. I hope Alan goes and wins it for us both.”
Later on Uncloaked, Burns hailed this moment as TV gold. She said: “I think it’s fabulous television. It’s so funny, me and Alan [are like we] have got this. It’s great telly.”
Is Paloma Faith in the coffin?
Paloma Faith attended her own funeral on Celebrity Traitors. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
Breaking the tension in the final, Carr cracked a joke about the coffins in the train mission. Referring to the chained-up coffins, he said: “If Paloma’s in there, she’s a really good sport!”
Faith had discovered she had been murdered by the traitors in dramatic fashion when she was asked to climb into a coffin earlier in the series.
Coming into the final, Carr had spoken about his game plan. He said: “I’ve thrown some good friends under the bus, I’ve murdered national treasures in plain sight.”
He added, “I’m clearly a better liar and traitor than I thought I was. The one thing I’ve learned about my whole traitors experience is I’m a fighter. I’m quite good at creating chaos. It is the final, we’ve still got two traitors left. My gameplay is to use my powers of persuasion and not mess it up. Bring it on!”
Celebrity Traitors final. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
Celebrity Traitors is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.